Get Back Up!

 

 

 

 

"If you have made mistakes ...

there is always another chance for you ...

You may have a fresh start at any moment you choose,

for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down,

but the staying down."

 

Mary Pickford  (1893-1979)

American Actress

 

 

In my early thirties, I became aware that I was using the words, mistake and failure, interchangeably.   Every mishap whether professional or personal reinforced a concept of failure on my part.  As usual, I was being way too critical of my self.  I soon began to re-frame my thoughts using mistake as a definition rather than failure.  I began to feel lighter and not as oppressed.

 

If a person is living on this glorious earth, he or she is experiencing challenges as they are the catalysts for growth.  We all stumble and quite often fall.  Even when we fall, however, we have the option to get back up.  We are not forced to stay down unless we believe this to be true.

 

There is an endless list of presidents, scientists, doctors, authors, and artists who tried again and again even when experiencing this thing called failure.  They didn't give up, they kept on leaning in until the creative forces linked efforts into success.

 

So it is not how many times we stumble or fall, it is about surging forward.  We all know that doing the same thing over and over expecting a different output is insanity, but each time we trip we can tweak our work or actions to make a positive difference.  

 

Or maybe our mistakes really lead us into other areas where we can excel.  We may be attempting to achieve something that is not our heart's desire.  Maybe our passion can be best served in an entirely different arena so Spirit is nudging us in different directions.

 

We can treat our selves more kindly just as we would a small toddler learning to walk for the very first time.  They tottle and fall, tottle and fall, and what do we do?  We encourage them to get up and try again.  They do, and they eventually run!